Dharma Book Titles with a Word “Puñña”: The Reflection on the Concept of Merit in Thai Society

Abstract

The idea of “puñña” or “merit”, a Buddhist concept, has long existed in Thai society and has been variously portrayed in different media, resulting in different interpretations of the concept of merit. Dharma books are one of the most popular media forms used to present the concept. This research aimed to study the titles of Dharma books containing a word “puñña” by emphasizing their linguistic strategies and to investigate the concept of “puñña” or “merit” as reflected from these titles. In so doing, eighty book titles with “puñña” were collected from libraries, bookstores, and websites. The findings showed that two linguistic strategies were used in the book titles: lexical selection and metaphor. Furthermore, four concepts of merit in Thai society were identified: 1) merit was tangible; 2) making merit was easy but it had to be done properly; 3) making merit yielded the benefits; and 4) merit was a valuable asset. These concepts have a direct bearing on the merit making of Thai people, thereby making its existence prevalent in Thai society.